Shallow Lake Fishing near Chapleau, Ontario

• Overview

  Shallow Lake belongs to Sudbury, Ontario. It stands 339 metres above sea level. At about 79 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. At about 7.7 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. The town to know is Chapleau, 60 km out. Then Timmins, 113 km, and Kapuskasing, 138 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Shallow Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Sudbury cover smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Shallow Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -17°C in January up to 17°C in July. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Shallow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Blackwater Lake at 7.2 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Shallow Lake.